Rick DuBose first visited Mammoth Cave National Park as a young boy. He remembers descending a staircase into an alien realm, the sensation of total darkness, and the sheer vastness.

“It’s literally another world underground,” he said.

Now, DuBose wants to protect the natural wonder as the new executive director of Friends of Mammoth Cave National Park, a nonprofit that fosters education, research and outdoor enjoyment within the park – namely through fundraising. “It’ll be a labor of love, and I’m looking forward to it,” he said.

DuBose complimented the former executive director, Helen Seivers, who recently accepted a position with Metro Parks Nashville to manage the city’s greenways.

“Helen has done amazing work with the Friends on the programming side and outreach,” he said.

While he won’t have the same skill set, he hopes to bring some new strengths to the position. DuBose retired from Western Kentucky University in 2016 after nearly two decades in development and alumni relations, and recently ran for state representative in District 20.

“I’ve been very fortunate in my career to do work that I’ve really believed in,” he said. “I certainly believe in education, (and) I believe in what they’re doing at Mammoth Cave and the national parks.”

In particular, he wants to raise the nonprofit’s revenue to increase opportunities for ecological education and conservation.

“I come to this job primarily as a fundraiser, as a development type person,” DuBose said.

DuBose accepted the position during the Jan. 11 Friends board meeting – right in the middle of the government shutdown, during which the nonprofit set up a table and assisted hundreds of visitors with directions and information about the cave.

But he isn’t new to the Friends. He joined the board several years ago and expressed appreciation for the dedicated cave supporters and their shared mission for promoting hands-on environmental education.

As an individual, DuBose appreciates the wildlife, horse rides through the forests and geology you won’t see anywhere above ground.

“It has so much to offer, so much that people don’t realize,” DuBose said. “It’s a beautiful park outside of the cave. In the cave itself, there’s so much to learn and so much to see. … I don’t think there’s another one quite like it.”

In his first two weeks, DuBose has already been busy creating connections with possible partners and utilizing his own network of educational proponents.

He encourages any individual who cares about the cave’s conservation to join the Friends.

“Everything we do is to support and promote the park,” he said. “It’s just a little bit of money. A little bit of money, combined with everyone else’s, can go a long way.”

Park officials also expressed excitement for the new leadership.

“The Friends are a very important organization to the park, they’re a great advocate,” said Molly Schroer, a park spokesperson. “ … While we’re sad to see Helen go, and we wish her the best of luck in her next adventure, we’re looking forward to working with Rick.”

– Follow reporter Caroline Eggers on Twitter @eggersdailynews or visit bgdailynews.com.